Can you say Anger Management?
by Stephanie Loss
Summary: Angelus lost his soul and his Gypsy Free Soul curing card. Now he has to go to anger mangament classes. Spoilers for Angel "Shroud of Rahmon".
1. Part 1 Miller's Wood

Title: Can we say Anger Managment?

Author: Stephanie Loss

Summary: Angelus lost his soul and his Gypsy Free Soul Curse card. Now he has to go to anger management classes.

Distribution: Just let me know where ya put it!

Spoilers: Angel "Shroud of Rahmon"

AN: As you might have guessed, I completely lost where I was going on this piece. Plus, never having attended an anger management course, I have no idea how to handle that part. So, suggestions wanted! Please help! Thanks!

Buffy Summers decided she did NOT like Miller's Wood.. If fact, if she lived long enough to get out she was going to burn it down. Maybe arson was in her blood. These were simply side thoughts. Her mind was fixed on outrunning the demon behind her. The demon who had killed Riley, Xander, and according to Cordelia, some cop in L.A. Kate, was it?

Buffy knew that she would see Angel again. They were soulmates, weren't they? But she never thought she would have to face Angelus again. That was one of the reasons why Angel left her, wasn't it? So she wouldn't have to deal with a demon with her soulmate's face killing everyone she loved. But still, Angelus was back, people were dead, and if she wasn't careful, she would be too.

Buffy continued dodging trees, rocks, running on and off trails. And she thought Miller's Wood would be the best idea. What better place to fight a vampire but in a forest? The nice branches sticking out evry which way, nice rocks and things to trip him, what could be better? There were two flaws in her plan. Firstly, all the nice and pretty things she hoped would help stop him were helping him stop HER. Secondly, despite everything every part of her that was a Slayer was telling her, she couldn't fight him, couldn't kill him.

It still was her same problem. How could she kill Angel? She would be killing any chance of Angel's soul being restored... Buffy wasn't sure if she could handle that.

Buffy turned as she heard Angelus tauntings suddenly grow louder. Somehow he had gotten right behind her. She whipped her head around, preparing to put on another burst of speed, just in time to see the earth gape in front of her. She felt Angelus's hand on her shoulder, then she was falling. She felt two things very quickly, mind-numbing disorientation and then a complete lack of everything.


	2. Part 2 The Garden

Buffy suddenly became aware of her surroundings. She was lying flat on the ground, entangled with someone. Her eyes decided to start registering information. That was when she found she was at the edge of a totally different forest. Her Slayer spider sense was telling her that the forest was not an average forest... it was all magicy. One part of her mind started arguing that magicy wasn't a word when the rest of her brain realized it was Angelus she was lying partly on, partly under, partly next to. Her mind also registered that the rather large shape standing in front of her was a thing.  
  
The different parts of her mind that had been sidetracked and arguing zoomed together. One part of her mind then thought, 'That's a dragon!'. Then the part that had been arguing the existence of the word 'magicy' stated that she was not seeing a dragon, but a figment of her imagination triggered by stress, head trauma, and watching too many episodes of 'Dragon Tales' with Dawn in the hospital waiting room. One part of her brain started to come up with a plan of attack.  
  
'Slayer.' A voice sounded in her head. The voice was bright and sparkly. She grimaced as she remembered her encounter with the Aspect of the Demon. The barrage of voices...  
  
"Are you not comfortable with telepathy, Slayer?" It's real voice was just like it's mental voice..  
  
Buffy looked up at the teal colored dragon. It stood 8 feet high, wings fluttered behind it. It was HUGE. She cocked her head to the side. "I don't have to fight you, do I?" She asked, slightly whining.  
  
"I sincerely hope you will not find that necessary, Slayer." It's dragony mouth twitched into a smile.  
  
"I do have a name you...." Buffy started to say as Angelus groaned. Buffy tried moving away from him, but they were too tangled in each other.  
  
"Do not fear, Slay... Miss Summers. We do not allow evil in the Garden. The house is an entirely different matter. Do you fully understand?"  
  
Buffy slowely nodded. This was her Angel. She slowely and carefully moved him so that she could move out from under him and put his head in her lap. "Angel?" She whispered, while her fingers traced the side of his face.  
  
His eyes opened. A moment of shock shook the Slayer. What if this Dragon things lied? But Angel's eyes opened, and Angel was her Angel.  
  
"Buffy. I... What's happening?" He reached up and put a hand on her cheek.  
  
She closed her eyes at the overwhelming dejavu. She put a hand over his. She opened her eyes. the Dragon thing was now further back from where it had been. Maybe to give her some private time with her Angel.  
  
"I... I really don't know." She answered while shaking her head. She tried to dispelled the memory cast up from the last time he was cursed.  
  
"Buffy," he seemed comforted by saying her name, "are you all right? The last thing I remember is pretending to help some demons steal a shroud, then... Kate, and..." He pushed himself away from her while sitting up. "Buffy, what did I do?"  
  
Buffy closed her eyes for a moment as a wave of grief rolled over her. "Shush," she whispered as she reached for him. "What *HE* did doesn't matter. I lost you and now I finally have you back. I'm not letting you go."  
  
Angel pulled her into his arms, lightly kissing his scar on her neck before lying his head on her shoulder. He weeped blood tears into the material of her shirt.  
  
Tears streaked Buffy's face while she rubbed his back. She whispered soothing words into his ear. The dragon came closer, she watched it closely.  
  
"Come." it said. "It's time."  
  
"Time for what?"  
  
"Him to start his Anger management sessions."  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"His soul can not be simply returned. The soul can only be called back from the ether twice. No more. He is a very important player in the battle of good and evil. If the world is to survive, you two need to fight side by side. That is nearly impossible in his current state. So thus, the Higher Powers, the Powers that Be, sent both of you to us. Counseling good and evil is our job here. Since we can not give him a soul, we will help him to control his anger and act as a decent non-human being. Now, Miss Summers, come with me. Angel will you please follow these two?" The Dragon pointed out two even bigger and even more burly Dragons.  
  
Buffy and Angel stood up together, holding hands. The Dragon tried to lead Buffy away from Angel, but she obstinately held her ground. Angel brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. "Everything will be all right, Buffy. I promise." He then dropped her hand and walked toward the two Dragons. They walked toward the huge buliding, stopping for a moment to put wooden handcuffs onto Angel's wrists. As soon as he passed through the door, he tried to fling himself forward, away from the Dragons that held him tightly. "See ya soon, Lover!" He yelled out as he was pulled down a hallway.  
  
When the words reached the Slayer, they sounded of a sweet promise. Because, no evil is allowed in the Garden.  
  
*** 


End file.
